WASHINGTON — With a few chords lifted from Bob Dylan, a satirical songsmith from the Washington suburbs has come up with a dubious anthem for the Occupy movement that is sweeping the United States.
"Remy's Occupy Wall Street Protest Song" went viral Monday on YouTube, a day after Remy Munasifi shot the video -- in faux Super 8 black and white -- amid protesters in Freedom Plaza, a few blocks from the White House.
"Come gather round people, come and join your hands," begins the song, which appropriates the opening bars of "The Times They Are a-Changin'," the seminal protest song that Dylan recorded in 1964.
But then it goes on to coyly note that America is a country with cheap posterboard for placards ("an example of economies of scale") and smartphones for all ("a sultan and student both have iPhone 4s").
"I'll tell you a tale of a fortunate son," Remy sings. "He's born in a country and given vaccine and rendered immune to all kinds of disease; the Kardashians (reality TV stars) are on all his TVs; it's not perfect."
Something of a YouTube fixture, Remy's breakout hit was a 2009 rap parody of Arlington, the Virginia city across the Potomac River from Washington best known for the Pentagon, condo developments and chain-store shopping.
His "Occupy Wall Street" ditty was supported by Reason TV, a self-described "libertarian" website backed by the writer, stand-up comic and one-time improv game-show host Drew Carey.
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